In case you weren’t aware of it, the U.S. Marine Corps has been using the same model sniper rifle since the Vietnam War. That’s been a few years, but now, they have finally confirmed that they have found an upgrade that they are happy with.
And what is this upgrade? To be frank, it is the primary rifle for the Marine Corps Special Operations Command, the Mk13. Christopher Woody gives us details (hat tip to here for the lead):
The Marine Corps confirmed in early April that its snipers would get the Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle to replace the M40 rifle, versions of which the Corps’ snipers have been carrying since the early days of the Vietnam War.
The Mk13 is scheduled to be fielded in late 2018 and throughout 2019, accordingto a Marine Corps release. And after Marines from active duty, reserve, and training units tried out the new rifle at the beginning of April, they were pleased with the new addition to the arsenal.
“After the first day on the range, they were sold,” project officer Capt. Frank Coppola said in the release.
Why the upgrade? Apparently, the Marines felt that the previous sniper rifle choice, the M40, no longer had the range needed for some areas of conflict (Iraq and Afghanistan) with its firing distance of almost 1,000 yards. The Mk13 will fire 300 yards farther and use a .300 Winchester Magnum round which is “heavier and leaves the gun at a faster speed.” Upgraded day optics won’t hurt with making this a more effective weapon either.
Sgt. Randy Robles said,
With this type of weapon in the fleet, we will increase our lethality and be able to conceal our location because we are creating a buffer between us and the enemy.
When you’re on the battlefield, being able to stay concealed is a huge advantage, and, hopefully, it will allow the Marines to be more effective and to bring more of our soldiers home safely.
.300 Win Mag is a good choice for an offensive weapon. Can be loaded from 150 grain bullet to a 220 grain bullet. Good luck tom the Marine issued this one.
I’m looking forward to learning about the spec’s on this rifle and the ammo they choose.
Ive been looking to modify my Remington .300 Win Mag chassis, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind they opt for as well as the barrel selection and ammo specifications, too.
No sense in reinventing the wheel and I’m always looking for ways to upgrade my gear, too. Not that I have any need to do the same kind of “engagements” they find themselves doing but if it helps out on the range or for hunting, why Not?
I just hope I don’t have to spend a HUGE amount to recreate mine, that is.
Always happy to hear about military upgrades,that will improve their abilities and bring them home safe. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS or leave the country.
Tim, I’ve never understood the meaning of “supporting our troops”, if you’d care to clarify. Of course, everybody supports our troops, I imagine and hope. Is “supporting our troops” equated with “supporting the Government”, by chance? In other words: Is not supporting the Government equivalent to not supporting the troops? Any reasonable person understands that the troops follow orders and do not make policy. Who, exactly, and for what reason, does not “support our troops”?
Roger Masion: “Supporting Our Troops” Wasn’t Always The Norm, Be it Military Or Civilian.–It Was More Like “CYA”!!–USMC VN Era Vet…
One of the ways of supporting our troops is not to kneel at a pro ball game , those losers do not support the military. When you see military personnel, tell them you appreciate their service . And if you see someone burning a flag or bad mouthing a soldier , stand up for them ! Here is just a few of the things to think of Roger !
Why not the 338 Lapua??? Granted the 300 Win.Mag is a great cartridge but the 338 is winning farther long range precision matches more than the 300 win. Mag is…
More units already use the 300 making the munition readily available in the supply chain. No special contracts or if need cross supply is available.
.338 range is 1900 meters accurately,
Talk about shrinking the battlefield !
IF YOU HAVE TOO MUCH RECOIL, YOU WILL START FLINCHING!!!!!
I just need to comment that the firearm has a pistol grip, thus qualifying it in some locals as a assault weapon, rather than just a advanced rifle.
Don’t abandon the M-40! Not saying they did not need an addition, but the simplicity of the M-40 is a plus, and the 7.62×51 is accurate to 1000 yards.
I am sure the Marines will have access to rifles firing the .338 Lapula and the .50 BMG in their SOC if they think the .300 Win. Mag is inadequate. This new rifle will answer 95% of Marine sniper needs.
.300 WIN MAG IS AN EXCELLENT WEAPON. I WOULD HAVE RECOMMENDED THE .338 LAPUA.
While the .300 Win mag is a decent round, there are far superior rounds available that afford even greater range flatter trajectories and increased stopping power. New innovations in rifle design such as recoil reduction systems allow shooters to more easily control the power of these cartridges and improve accuracy.
Te .338 Lapua is a flatter shooting longer range round. There was mention of recoil reducing technology that can be used. That is true, but at the cost of more weight. Think that don’t matter, try humping an extra pound or two for several hours over rough terrain and then try to steady yourself for a snap shot, which is all you may get, and tell me again weight don’t matter. When I could do 150+ push ups, and a like amount of pull ups, run 5 miles and lifting weights when off duty, carrying extra weight on a long march will tell on your offhand accuracy. I have fire rifles from .460 Weatherby, .375 H&H, .338 Winchester, and the .300 Winchester. The .300 is at this point the least punishing as far as recoil in an easily portable long range weapon.
A couple of years ago I saw on a tv show a new type of weapon they referred to it as a rocket rifle as it’s ammo was a rocket-assisted round that scored direct hits at 1.5 mi and had the abillty to fire around corners or that would explode over a wall and kill with shrapnel. It fired a 20mm shell. Also saw a weapon system with a radically new sighting system that guaranteed a hit at 1000 yds. They demoed it by having a news lady fire it and hit the target She had never fired a weapon before and there was very little recoil. Was being sold to civilians at a cost of 15k. Does anyone have any info on these items?
Yeah, I have it somewhere on my computer Ed, I’m drawing a blank as to the manufacturer and data about it but I’ll repost when I find it. If nothing else I can ask my nephew, he’s still a veteran Seal team 6 and has unlimited access to the Navy, anywhere on the planet. Especially with his credentials, a Master-Chief of almost 20 years
Anyway, if I remember right this one is more about the ammo rather than the weapon, programmable in flight exploding trajectory and enough impact to bust thru concrete walls and then explode its payload into scrapnel. Or just make a guy’s head explode, I seen the guys using it in Afghanistan testing it out. That was an amazing thing to see at over a mile and behind a wall and still a big red splatter on the back wall. If we would’ve had anything like this in Vietnam, life would’ve been so much easier. Try and keep an eye on here and I’ll post what I can, either the file or a link to more info.
What about the 6.5 Creedmoor? Minimal recoil, long range, adequate stopping power.
I use a 338 that will go through a 6 layer vest at 1 mile and hits where it is pointed and that is with a 210 grn. ball 3000 ft. sec.
300 Win Mag definitely has a lot of knock down energy as it is a very powerful round. The 338 Lapua that everyone is mentioning would have also been an excellent choice that is more nimble to carry than a .50 BMG platform. All of these are better at 1mile+ distances than the .308 caliber. After a mile, the 7mm Rem Mag is superior in its ballistic coefficient rating than a 300 Win Mag. I’m sure the USMC considered it, because the 300 Win Mag is more powerful in ranges under a mile. There is a reason that the FBI uses the 7mm Rem Mag as its counter sniper platform. These are subtle nuances that will probably be compensated with a standardized, customized round for the USMC’s needs I’m sure.
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